The Demigod Trials 7
CHAPTER SEVEN They decided to start where Percy's journey had begun- the Box as they called it. Double doors of metal lying flat on the ground, covered in white paint, faded and cracking. Luke poked the Box with his sword- he told Percy he called it Backbiter. "This is the Box. What you woke up in. Every month we get a new Probatio. And then once a week, we get supplies. The necessities only, food, clothes, stuff for the Runners." Percy frowned. "What about other things like the electricity for the kitchen?" Luke started walking away, but talked over his shoulder as he went. "We get everything we need, like I said. We grow our food and raise animals to slaughter. Electricity comes by itself, don't know how and don't care." Percy looked back at the Box. "Have you ever tried sending someone through-" Luke cut him off. "Do you think we're stupid, Probatio? Of course we tried sending people through here but it's no use. The Box won't move when there is weight inside." Percy snapped his fingers. "What if you didn't touch the Box? Like, I don't know, did some Spiderman moves and never touched the ground? It can't be that far down." Luke didn't answer for awhile, making Percy think his idea sounded ridicoulous. "We tried that. What's your name again?" He scowled at the younger boy. "Percy is it? Well newsflash Percy, there isn't a reasonable way out of here- the guy who tried flying on a vine like Tarzan got sliced in half. Only found half his body, that's how we know." Percy suddenly felt naseous. He swallowed back a retort and decided to let Luke just lead him through on the Tour. Luke kept talking, never bothering to look Percy in the eye. "The Glade is cut into four sections, and we have four cohorts of those. They are assigned to those jobs." Percy tapped his fingers against his pants, anxious to say something, but not wanting to offend the older boy again. "Gardens, Blood House, Homestead, Deadheads. Got it?" Luke continued, glancing back to see how his trainee was doing. Percy hesitated. "Uh...gardens and a blood home and then another house and then uh...something about dead beds. I think." Luke looked like he was going to pop a valve for a moment, then he surprised Percy by laughing. "Not bad actually. Most people just look at me like what. Anyways, the Blood House is where we slaughter the animals I talked about. You know, to eat. Hope you like killing piggies. Then we have the Gardens, that's kind of an obvious place because of the name. You know what a garden is right?" Percy nodded. "Good, so water is pumped through the pipes- again don't ask how." Luke pointed at an ugly building. "That is our pitiful living quarteres. The Homestead. We build onto it with wood the gods send us." That was the first time Percy had heard the word gods ''mentioned. He already knew he was the son of one of them- it just seemed natural. Still, he was curious to hear what Luke had to say. "Then the Deadheads is in the south. See that forest area with all the evil looking trees? Graveyard is in the back corner. You'll spend the next two weeks working one day apiece for our different Cohort Keepers. You could be a Slopper, a Bagger, Track-hoe, Bricknick...something is going to be your job." Luke scratched his head. "I think I covered everything." Percy's head was spinning with so many words, confusion washed over him, then fear, then excitment. He wondered why they needed a graveyard, and decided not to ask. Luke led him to the Blood House. Several cows nibbled and chewed at a trough full of greenish hay. Pigs lounged in a muddy pit, flicking mud around occasionally. Another pen held sheep, and there were chicken coops and turkey cages scattered about as well. Workers walked around, carrying heavy equipment and feeding the animals. Percy frowned. "People do this for the rest of their lives?" Luke glanced around. "Until we can find a way to get out of here." He continued to show Percy the large barn in the back corner, its red paint long faded to a dull rust color. "Back there is where the Slicers work. If you like blood, you can be a Slicer." Percy got the feeling he'd slaughtered a lot of animals, but it just didn't feel right. He wanted to tell Luke to shut up and tell him about the Runners but something told him that the older guy wouldn't appreciate that. He focused his attention on the Glade, the section Luke had called the Deadheads. The trees grew thicker and denser the farther back in the corner they went, more alive and full of leaves. Dark shadows filled the depths of the woods, despite the time of day. Percy glanced up, squinting to see that the sun was finally visible. It was more orange then he thought it should be, reminding him of his odd selective memory. He returned his gaze to the Deadheads, a glowing disk still floating in his vision, as the sun often does if you stare at it too long. Blinking profusely, he suddenly caught the red lights again, flickering and skittering about deep in the dark of the woods. ''Beetle Pegs. ''Percy thought to himself. Luke stopped walking, and Percy almost ran right into him. He caught himself at the last moment, almost falling backwards. Great, now he'd make a reputation as the guy who fell the most. To his surprise, he realized they'd reached the South Door; the two walls bracketing the exit towered above them. "That's the Maze out there." Luke jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, then paused. Percy leaned over, straining to get a better view. The corrirors out thre looked like the same ones he'd seen from the window by the East Door that morning. This thought gave him a chill, and instinctevly he stepped back in case an automaton hellhound came chargine out at them. ''Calm down, ''he scolded himself, emberassed for acting scared. Luke sighed almost sadly as he looked out into the Maze. "I've been here two years you know. I'm the oldest, the people who came with me are dead except for a handful." Percy wished he could say something to make Luke feel better, but he was at loss for words. The older demigod seemed to be lost in thought. Then another thought occurred to him- they'd been here for two years. "Anyways," Luke cleared his throat, turning away. "The Runners go out before the Doors close at night. They map what they saw and compare them." Percy took a step toward the Maze, not sure what he was doing. He had to be out there, he knew it. He was just stepping out when Luke realized what he was doing and grabbed his wrist, yanking him back. "Are you crazy?" He hissed, a wild light in his eyes. "No one is going out there but the Runners, got it? This isn't your house- you can't go strolling wherever you want." Percy jerked his hand back from Luke, trying not to let his anger control him. "Why not?" He asked calmly. Luke scowled, every softness that had just showed gone. "You think I sent Jason to wake you up for the kicks? Rule number one of this place is that you don't go in the Maze. If you break that rule, forget about the hellhounds, I'll send you to an early grave before you know what's happening." Percy wasn't sure if Luke was kidding, and from his tone of voice he didn't think so. He wondered if he could take this guy, but somehow it didn't seem like the smartest move. Finally, he gave in and nodded. "Good because-" Luke was cut off by a booming, ringing alarm that sounded from all directions. Thomas clamped his hands to his ears, looking arouns as the siren blared, his heart about to thump it's way out of his chest. But when he looked at Luke he stopped panicking. He wasn't acting scared- he appeared...confused. Surprised even. The alarm clanged through the air. "That's weird." Was all Luke said as he scanned the Glade, squinting. Percy noticed people milling around, also appearing just as confused. One shouted to Luke, a large Asian boy. "What was that?" The boy asked, looking over Percy for some reason. "I don't know." Luke grabbed his sword and begain sprinting toward the Box. "Let's find out." Together he and the Asian boy dissapeared over the hill. Percy hesitated, listening to the alarm, then took off running as well, easily taking the land in large strides to catch up. He found Jason running in the same direction and fell into pace next to him. "What's going on?" He asked, trying to hide the fact that he was anxious. Jason shook his head, clearly mystefied. "It's the Box, that's all I know." "So?" "So? That means another Probatio is coming up right now." He paused waiting for Percy's reaction. "''Right now. ''Only a day after you." ''Jason slowed down as they neared the crowd that had already gathered. Percy didn't get it, and didn't bother hiding that fact. "And is this a big deal?" He asked carefully. Jason clearly thought Percy was acting dumb. "Probatio, we've never had to of you guys show up in the same ''month, ''much less two days in a row." <--- Previous Chapter [[The Demigod Trials 8|Next Chapter --->]] Category:TheBestDaysofUrLife Category:The Demigod Trials